Demountable bench



July 4, 1967 w. KING 3,329,465

DEMOUNTABLE BENCH Filed March 4, 1966 INVENTOR. WILLIAM KING ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent 3,329,465 DEMOUNTABLE BENCH William King, 2390South 63rd West Ave., Tulsa, Okla. 74107 Filed Mar. 4, 1966, Ser. No.531,971 3 Claims. (or. 297-444) This invention relates to a demountablebench. More particularly, the invention relates to a bench design foreasy mounting and demounting, the invention being characterized byextreme compactness in the demounted condition and being furthercharacterized by the utilization of only two components in theconstruction of the bench, each of which in the demounted condition isof a flat configuration so that a large number of benches capable ofseating a large group of people may be very easily stored andtransported.

There are many types of folding chairs and similar portable devices onthe market and otherwise known in the art but most of these, whilefoldable and thereby arrangeable in a manner to consume substantiallyless space than the normal chair or seat, nevertheless require asubstantial amount of space.- The necessary seating for a large crowd ofpeople utilizing presently existing devices is substantially bulky andhard to transport and store.

This invention provides a unique type of demountable bench, an object ofwhich is to provide a seating arrangement wherein the bench indemountable condition can be stored extremely compactly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a demountable benchutilizing only two components.

Another object of the invention is to provide a demountable bench havingtwo basic components, one of which forms either a seat or back in thebench arrangement in a manner wherein the bench can be rapidly erectedwithout any thought given to specific component interrelationships.

Another object of this invention is to provide a demountable bench ofextreme simplicity, economy of construction, ease of mounting anddemounting, and, most particularly, a bench which when assembled isextremely sturdy.

These and other objects of this invention and a better understanding ofthe invention will be had by referring to the following description andclaims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric external View of an assembled bench of thisinvention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged isometric view of the leg structure of the benchof this invention showing the seat and back portions broken away.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 ofFIGURE 1 showing the bench back receiving the upper portion of the legstructure.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURE 1, an assembled benchof this invention is shown. The bench consists of two elements, that is,an interchangeable reversible symmetrical relatively thin rectangularpanel and a leg structure 12. To form one bench, two panels 10 are used,one forming a back, identified by the numeral 10A, and the other formingthe bench seat, identified by the numeral 10B, and at least two legstructures 12. Obviously, any number of two or more leg structures 12may be utilized depending primarily upon the length of the bench.

The panels 10 are interchangeable. That is, the back panel 10A and seatpanel 10B are identical so that in the erection of the bench no concernneed be given as to which is the seat and which is the back. Inaddition, the panels forming the back 10A and seat 10B are reversible,that is, there is no top or bottom, which further eliminates anyconcern, during erection, of element relationships.

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Each of the panels has at least two spaced parallel openings 14therethrough parallel the width edge 16 and perpendicular the lengthedges 18. Formed in. the length edges 18 of the panels 10 are recessnotches 20 at each of the openings 14. The function of the notches 20will be described subsequently. The panels 10 may be composed ofrectangular wood members having openings 14 and notches 20 therein orsuch panels may be formed of plastic material. When formed of plastic,the panels may include in each of the openings 14 a tubular reinforcingmember 22, as shown in FIGURE 3. Ordinarily, such tubular reinforcingmember 22 will not be required when material such as wood is utilizedbut when material having less structural rigidity is utilized, suchreinforcing will normally be found to be necessary.

The second portion of the demountable bench of this invention, aspreviously indicated, is the leg structure 12, best shown in FIGURE 2. Aleg structure 12 is utilized for each of the openings 14 in the panels10. Thus, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, each of the panels has threeopenings 14 therethrough requiring three leg structures 12.

Each of the leg structures 12 is of integral construction having ahorizontal seat supporting portion 24. Integrally affixed at each endand extending downwardly from the horizontally seat support portion 24is a front leg portion 26 and a rear leg portion 28, the leg portionsbeing substantially parallel. By substantially parallel is meant thatthey will be in relative parallel relationship, it being obvious that adeviation from such parallel relationship will not depart from the scopeof the invention. In like manner, the seat support portion 24 isdescribed as horizontal, it being understood that horizontal is used ina relative sense and that departure from the horizontal will be withinthe scope of the invention. In fact, some slight rearward tilt relativeto the horizontal of the seat support member 24 may be preferred. In theillustrated embodiment a horizontal base member 30 is affixed at thebottom end of the front and rear leg portions 26 and 28. This is anoptional although preferred arrangement giving increased strength andrigidity to the leg structure. In addition, the base member preferablyincludes a rearwardly extending portion 32 adding substantial stabilityto the overall structure, and particularly preventing the bench whenassembled from being tilted backwards.

Afiixed at the rearward end of the horizontal seat support portion 24 isan upstanding back panel support portion 34. In the preferredarrangement, the upper portion of the back support portion 34 is ofreduced cross-sectional area, indicated by the numeral 36. The reducedcrosssectional area portion 36 is received by opening 14 in the backpanel 10A. The larger cross-sectional area portion 34 holds the backpanel spaced above the horizontal seat supporting portion 24.

The leg structure 12 is of integral fiat construction in which allelements are in a single plane so that when the bench is disassembledthe leg structures lie one on top of another, consuming a minimum ofspace.

Each of the leg structures 12 is provided with an upstanding front stopmember 38 extending from the horizontal seat support portion 24 and asecond or rear stop member 40 extending from the horizontal seat supportportion 24 adjacent the back panel support portion 34. Each of the stopmembers 38 and 40 is of a height above the horizontal seat supportportion 24 less than the thickness of the panels 10A and 10B. When thebench of this invention is assembled, the front and rear stop members 38and 40 are received in notches 20 in the length edges 18 of the panels10A and 10B. This arrangement prohibits the leg structures 12 fromrotating relative to the back panel 10A and affords greatly increasedrigidity to the assembled bench.

To assemble the bench of this invention, a panel (to form the back panel10A) is inserted over the upstanding back support portion 34 of legstructures 12, that is, the leg structure back support portions 34 arereceived by openings 14 in the back panels 10A. The number of legstructures utilized with each bench is dependent basically upon thelength of the bench. Next the seat 10 is placed upon the horizontal seatsupporting portions 24 of the leg structures 12, the notches 20receiving the stops 38 and 40. When the bench is assembled, it isexceedingly sturdy. During assembly, no attention or concern need begiven as to which is the top or the bottom edge 18 of any panel orwhether it is to be used for a seat or a back, nor if it must be placedright side up, since it is reversible. The leg structures 12 are alsoidentical.

To demount the bench, all that is required is that the back panel 10A belifted straight upwardly and the components are disassembled. The panels10 being flat can be stored very compactly and the same applies to theleg structures 12. In this manner sufficient benches to seat a largenumber of people may be hauled in a pickup truck or station wagon andcan be stored in a much smaller area than any known type of portableseating arrangement.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is manifest that many changes can be made in thedetails of construction and the arrangement of components withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A demountable bench comprising:

a first and second interchangeable, reversible, symmetrical, relativelythin rectangular panel, one of which panels serves as the bench back andthe other as the bench seat, each of which panels has at least twospaced parallel openings therethrough parallel the width edges andperpendicular the length edges; and

an identical leg structure for each of said openings in one of saidpanels of integral construction having a horizontal seat supportingportion upon which said bench seat panel rests, a leg portion extendingdownwardly from each end of said horizontal seat portion, a horizontalbase portion affixed to the downward end of each of said leg portions,and an upstanding back panel support portion extending upwardly fromsaid horizontal seat portion, said bench back panel openings slidablyreceiving in paralleled spaced relation said leg structure back panelsupport portion of each of said leg structures.

2. A demountable bench according to claim 1 wherein each of said panelsincludes in each of said openings therein a tubular reinforcing memberwhich in turn slidably receives said back panel support portions of saidleg structures.

3. A demountable bench according to claim 1 wherein each of said legstructures has an upstanding rear stop member extending from saidhorizontal seat support portion adjacent said back panel support portionand a second upstanding stop extending from said horizontal seat supportportion at the end thereof opposite said first stop member, said stopmembers being of 'a height above said seat support portion less than thethickness of said panels, and wherein each of said panels has a notchrecess in each length edge at said openings whereby when the bench isassembled said notches in the panel serve as the seat panel receivingsaid stops to maintain said leg structures in paralleled relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,608,033 11/1926 Nabors 297444 X2,276,308 3/1942 Hugh 297440 X 2,798,538 7/1957 Drcifke 297458 X2,842,186 7/1958 Worley 297444 X 2,913,038 11/1959 McDerby 297447 X2,955,646 10/1960 Briggs 297444 3,083,054 3/1963 Weaver 297460 X3,115,368 12/1963 Springer et val. 297451 CASMIR A. NUNBERG. PrimaryExaminer.

1. A DEMOUNTABLE BENCH COMPRISING: A FIRST AND SECOND INTERCHANGEABLE,REVERSIBLE, SYMMETRICAL, RELATIVELY THIN RECTANGULAR PANEL, ONE OF WHICHPANELS SERVES AS THE BENCH BACK AND THE OTHER AS THE BENCH SEAT, EACH OFWHICH PANELS HAS AT LEAST TWO SPACED PARALLEL OPENINGS THERETHROUGHPARALLEL THE WIDTH EDGES AND PERPENDICULAR THE LENGTH EDGES; AND ANIDENTICAL LEG STRUCTURE FOR EACH OF SAID OPENINGS IN ONE OF SAID PANELSOF INTEGRAL CONSTRUCTION HAVING A HORIZONTAL SEAT SUPPORTING PORTIONUPON WHICH SAID BENCH SEAT PANEL RESTS, A LEG PORTION EXTENDINGDOWNWARDLY FROM EACH END OF SAID HORIZONTAL SEAT PORTION, A HORIZONTALBASE PORTION AFFIXED TO THE DOWNWARD